tower 3d pro Keyboard shortcuts?

[pracines]

Could keyboard shortcuts be added? - mouse clicks with the command bar is not sufficient (airports get too busy) for those who do not wish to or cannot use speech.

Paul Racines
 

[FeelThere_Vic]

Hi Paul,

 

Non pro was designed to be working with mouse and PRO with voice. We are not planning to add keyboard shortcuts at this time.

 

Vic

 

[ttjager]

I have a keyboard "work-around" I've been using for a couple days now.  I LOVE controlling with voice, and it works very well in this sim.  But, "one-holing" a the ramp tower, ground, and local positions on both the north and south complexes at LAX at the same time with very heavy RealTraffic loads can be overwhelming.  Simply put, you talk non-stop and if just one aircraft misses a clearance, it's a mess.  So, I started using a Logitech G105 gaming keyboard.  It allows you to record macro commands and assign them to anyone of several different dedicated gaming keys.

The only thing I'm doing is using the gaming keys to handle the ramp tower push back commands.  I think that's fair.  So, I have each runway's push back command assigned to a separate key.  When an aircraft calls for push and start, I simply click their ground radar icon, hit the appropriate macro key, and click send.  It might not sound like a big time savings, but you can send these back-to-back-to-back without waiting for the aircraft to respond.  They will, but you can ignore their babble as you keep your "flick" going on more important issues.  I can give four push back commands in less than 5 seconds!  So far, it works pretty darn good and allows me to concentrate on more pressing clearances and saves LOTS of air time on the frequency.  

The only catch is running dual screens . . . I do.  I keep the ADIRS on a screen all by itself.  When you do that, clicking on that screen won't allow you to "type" in the command line (use the macro key).  So, I keep a second, very small, cropped ADIRS window open on my main screen.  It's cropped to show just the north and south gates.  That will allow you to click on an aircraft, use the macro key, and click send.  Works well.  Good luck.

TJ

[Kl408]

Not a bad workaround at all and I don't think it's cheating either,  I'll call it "cleveruseoftech" if anyone asks ;-)...

Just two things:

Can't you assign "enter " to the end of the macro eliminating the need to press send??

Why do you keep the compressed adir open end not select it in the flightstrip instead??

Willem

[ttjager]

7 hours ago, Kl408 said:

Not a bad workaround at all and I don't think it's cheating either,  I'll call it "cleveruseoftech" if anyone asks ;-)...

Just two things:

Can't you assign "enter " to the end of the macro eliminating the need to press send??

Why do you keep the compressed adir open end not select it in the flightstrip instead??

Willem

I can't figure out how to have the "send" command added to the macro shortcut. Nothing seems to work from a keyboard standpoint.  That would be a nice addition to my macro.  Any ideas?  

I never thought about simply clicking the flight strip.  That would work just fine.  Thanks!

[pracines]

Good thinking TJ and Willem,

I don't consider the need for keyboard shortcuts either cheating or too much to ask.

The more automated that repetitive commands can be made, the safer it is for all of them virtual planes. Why make controlling aircraft more difficult than it needs to be? Its not like we have a staff of professional ATC controllers helping us, but set real traffic at 100%, voice alone with the feature set as it is, can be very unrealistic. If it were this difficult in real life, millions would die every year in plane accidents. Tower 3D Pro has us handle ground and tower frequencies at a major airport during peak hours. 

To make a program favor only voice or fall back to the endless mouse click method, puts a needless limit on this simulation. I hope FeelThere will reconsider adding keyboard shortcuts to the common commands.

I understand Multiplayer can alleviate the workload, but personal schedules are always an issue in my experience.

One truly begins to understand why airports like KLAX have 3 ground controls facilities for West, North, and South, plus separate tower control facilities for North and South.

Paul

[Kl408]

17 hours ago, ttjager said:

I can't figure out how to have the "send" command added to the macro shortcut. Nothing seems to work from a keyboard standpoint.  That would be a nice addition to my macro.  Any ideas? 

I'm not sure because I don't know what keyboard you have but mine, a razor blackwidow chroma, has 5 macro keys to use and they record the "enter" key at the end just fine..

It literally records all keystrokes untill I tell it to stop. I've tried the push and expect command in a macro and it's really fast (once I realised i had to record a , between approved and expect , Duh) so unless you tell me what hardware you use , or maybe software if it's an external program then maybe I can help but for me it's simply record and forget ;)

Willem

P.S Still only use voice and not the macro unless I have 80 or more planes an hour which is a bit much for one person ;-))

P.P.S Sorry for the delay in answering but I'm doing nightshifts at the moment so that kinda messes with my computer hours....

[futureboy]

On 4/12/2017 at 3:07 AM, ttjager said:

 So, I started using a Logitech G105 gaming keyboard.

I think this is what ttjager is using since he listed it in his comment :)

RickyJ

[ttjager]

Well, like I said, "I started using . . . "  and was doing it wrong.  I was assigning the keys a prescribed "text block" and it would not take the ENTER key.  I changed it to "multi key" macro and the ENTER works great!  Thanks!

I'm only using them to get the aircraft off the gates at LAX, so I have a pushback commands with runway assignments and taxi instructions each assigned to an individual macro key.  I added one last one for "continue taxi".  That way, I can work the regular ground and local positions without any problems and handle much more traffic.  I've kind of automated the ramp tower to some extent.

I almost always simulate ground delays/flow control to several commonly used airports.  So that keeps me busy assigning "wheels-up times" and parking aircraft on adjacent taxiways while they await release.  Keeps it realistic and challenging.  I'll leave the ramp tower to the "developmental controllers"!  :)

TJ

[Kl408]

And I rest my case on the nightsift playing with your iq ;-)

Completely missed the keyboard name in the comment pfffffff.

Now back on topic, there are two ways to record macro's on that thing that are relevant , multi key and textblock...

Do they both refuse to add an "enter" if you try to record it ?????

 

WIllem

[ttjager]

25 minutes ago, ttjager said:

I was assigning the keys a prescribed "text block" and it would not take the ENTER key.  I changed it to "multi key" macro and the ENTER works great!  Thanks!

 

 

[pracines]

On ‎4‎/‎13‎/‎2017 at 6:22 PM, Kl408 said:

Now back on topic, there are two ways to record macro's on that thing that are relevant , multi key and textblock...

Do they both refuse to add an "enter" if you try to record it ?????

 

WIllem

The conversation about recording macros using a gaming keyboard is not precisely "back on topic". Although the work-around is great, its useless to those who have standard keyboards.

Paul